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Werelions are humans able to assume lion form. They are efficient, communal predators, dangerous not only because of their individual skill but also because of their ability to stalk their prey as a single-minded group. They possess strength and speed far beyond anything a human is capable of - they can lift and toss a horse, and can move fast enough to seem like a blur to the human eye. Werelion metabolisms are much faster than human metabolisms, which is why werelions need to consume more calories, why they heal so quickly, and also why they have a higher body temperature than humans. Cold temperatures and ice baths, sometimes used to bring down fevers in humans, can be fatal to lycanthropes if given to them while they are healing serious injuries - they require high temperatures to heal, and recover best when surrounded by their clan.

A werelion, like all lycanthropes, is humans possessed by a spirit. The personalities of the possessed are infused with those of the spirit until it becomes difficult to identify which being is in control.

A werelion's natural form is human. In appearance, they are typically impossible to distinguish from any other human, although their faster metabolisms mean they are always fit. As well, they take on the mannerisms of a lion such as the men having longer than average hair and the females keeping their hair uncharacteristically short, even to the point of appearing almost shaven. If they spend too much time in lion form, some characteristics may linger - for instance, they may have lion eyes, unusually long and sharp canine teeth, and perhaps a rough/growly voice. Werelions shapeshift into a bipedal hybrid and are noticeably larger than both a man or lion. Although the ability is rare, some alpha lycanthropes can shift isolated portions of their body if they choose, rather than their whole body.

The transformation itself is a violent process - bones snap and reform, skin splits, fur spills out. The process can take some time, depending on the age and ability of the werelion involved. Powerful alpha werelions can sometimes shift very smoothly and rapidly, whereas newer or weaker werelions often take several minutes for their bodies to break down and reform. Changing form always takes a lot of energy, and changing to lion form causes a hunger for meat. A shape change will heal all fresh wounds - even scars will fade gradually if they were attained after the lycanthrope was infected.

All of a lycanthrope's senses are heightened. They can hear a person's pulse just by standing nearby, they need minimal light to see, and they can track by scent (although all of these abilities are improved more if they are in lion form rather than in human). They can use their sense of smell to determine if a person is agitated or calm, and this helps them determine if someone is lying, although it is not universal.

History[edit | edit source]

While there were legends of man-like animals, there has never been any confirmed cases until Azar. Azar, hearing the words of Tishtar, sent a thousand of warriors led by Archon Argel Tal often referred to as the "Crimson Lord" to the west to find the lost temple of Ashar and receive proof of his existence. When they return seven months later, only three hundred survive. These chosen three hundred were said to have been killed by a creature only to awaken only to awaken sometime later alive once more. During the 7 month-long journeys that followed out of the western desert, many members of the Serrated Sun Chapter killed one another and survived the ordeal by drinking their fallen comrades' blood and eating their flesh.

After Argel Tal told Azar all that had transpired in the Temple, the survivors were honored and the Serrated Sun Chapter was renamed the Gal Vorbak, the "Blessed Sons" in the Tovak dialect. The members of the Gal Vorbak later suffered from hearing voices for years after their ordeal in the Temple until they began to metamorphose into werelions not long before the Battle of Stonegate. During the battle, the member of the Gal Vorbak become true monsters and could be seen tearing through enemy soldiers with teeth and claw. However, after the battle, only five of their number had survived. The remaining members of the Gal Vorbak became the most feared unit in the celestial military.

Shortly after, new Gal Vorbak emerged albeit these new creatures were weaker than those who first went into the Temple. Perhaps the flesh and souls they enslaved were of a lesser stock, or perhaps it was because this new generation willingly took the lion spirits in while the first generation fought the process.